


Easy If It's You

by hattukissa



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, First Time, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Porn With Plot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-18
Updated: 2017-02-18
Packaged: 2018-09-25 08:47:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,170
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9811904
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hattukissa/pseuds/hattukissa
Summary: Arthur can no longer focus in class after his lab partner Merlin gets his tongue pierced.





	

**Author's Note:**

> First time posting a Merthur fic and I'm super pumped about it! Also I'm new to AO3 (I guess you could say I'm old, I used livejournal for fics until late last year) so I hope I did everything correctly. Btw, I drew a picture to go with the fic - scroll down if you're only interested in seeing the art :)

Arthur isn't sure whether their teacher paired him and Merlin Emrys up because of their names or the fact that they're both equally as bad in science. They sit together in the middle of the class room - right where their teacher can see if they're paying attention or not - the tables preassigned as if they're still kids completely unable to concentrate in class which is not that far from truth. Arthur finds the subject horribly boring and apparently so does Merlin if the vacant, glassy look that clouds his eyes when the teacher starts talking is anything to go by. He and Merlin have some classes together, they get on just fine - it's not like they haven't been paired up before as most of the teachers think their names make a delightfully hilarious combo. _Arthur and Merlin._ How original.

Merlin is leaning his cheek against his palm, half slumping over the desk, staring at the chalk board in front of them clearly not understanding anything. Arthur's given up the fight long ago, instead looking around the classroom, first staring at the neck of the student sitting in front of him, her long, red hair, twisted up into a bun, then at the periodic table on the wall that appears so old the color have washed out and Arthur can no longer tell if it was yellow to begin with. The teacher, Mrs. Olson, says something and Merlin glances at him, nudging his open book closer to Arthur and pointing at something on the page spread before them.

"Did she say 2B or 2D?" Merlin asks unclearly - at first Arthur thinks it's because he has a bit of an accent and it's sometimes hard to understand what Merlin's saying in any case but that's not it, this time.

"Huh?"

"You werrrren't listening eitherrrr?" Merlin raises an eyebrow, giving Arthur a look that says, _oh well, whatever._ His r's sound funny, even thicker than before, and Arthur's totally not expecting it when he sees something a bit sparkly glistening inside the other boy's mouth.

"Sorrrry, I can't speak properrrly," Merlin tells him, noticing Arthur's confused expression, "I got my tongue pierced on Saturday."

"Boys," comes the teacher's voice, now closer than before, "Exercise 2B please, if you will."

Arthur tears his gaze away for a second to read the assignment - it's something about the stuff the teacher was just saying, something about cells, what was the topic even - and Arthur finds it even harder to concentrate as he steals another glance at the black haired boy at his side. Merlin has his tongue out, he's playing with the piercing and even though it looks as if it would hurt, pulls it between his teeth and moves the barbel around. Merlin can feel him staring, he's just as restless as Arthur in the boring class, and so he makes eye-contact again and sticks out his tongue to show. Somewhere deep inside his stomach, Arthur feels a surprising lurch. How unexpected.

"Did it hurt?" he asks, resisting the urge to reach out and pull Merlin's tongue out of his mouth to take a better look. Merlin doesn't seem like the type to be into piercings and tattoos, he's a bit of a geek really - if anything, it should be Arthur to go out and get his nipple pierced or something on a drunken whim. It's the type of shit Arthur pulls just for a laugh.

"A bit," says Merlin, making sure the teacher's not looking before leaning closer and continuing with a lazy grin on his lips, "The girl who did it, who works at the shop, was mad fit."

Arthur returns the grin and shakes his head.

"Oh yeah?"

"Oh yeah," Merlin makes a gesture with his eyebrows to let Arthur know just how fit she was. He turns his attention away, back to the book and reads out loud but Arthur interrupts him.

"Can you feel it when you... You know. Eat and stuff? When you kiss?"

"I guess, I haven't trrrried though."

"Eating?"

"Kissing, you moron," Merlin tells him and for a second they pretend to be busy with the assignment when the teacher walks by. "Okay so we're supposed to... I guess... Uhm, what are we supposed to even-"

"You haven't tried kissing? _Ever?_ " Arthur asks, a bit more loudly than he intended and Merlin gives him a look somewhere between pity and compassion. Arthur gets those looks sometimes, like people think he's been hit on the head one too many times on the football field.

"Arthur, you absolute arrrrse," Merlin lets out a soundless laugh, the piercing in his mouth catching Arthur's eye again, "Of course I've kissed people, I'm not twelve. I haven't kissed anyone with this piercing on, I don't think you're supposed to, yet. It might get infected."

"Whatever. Wanker," Arthur huffs, slightly embarrassed. He tries to turn away, he really does, but somehow Merlin has taken over every single thought on his mind and Arthur just can't help it, he's easily distracted. The bell rings and Arthur opens his mouth to say something but instead, closes it and starts stuffing his things into his backpack while Merlin does the same. Some students shuffle past them, knocking Arthur on the side as he stands up and pulls on his hoodie.

"Mr. Pendragon, Mr. Emrys," the teacher calls, eyeing them disapprovingly which doesn't come as a surprise, "Come over here for a sec, would you?"

Merlin and Arthur exchange defeated looks and walk over to her desk, Arthur fumbling with the pack of smokes in his pocket. He's got maths at eleven and he really wants to have a break.

"You're not going to keep up with the course work if you continue like this," she says, tapping her pencil to the notebook on her desk, "Both of you. You don't pay attention in class and it's not fair to the other pupils so I paired you up to give you one more chance to improve together. You reckon you could do that?"

"Of course, Mrs. Olson," Merlin tells her uninterestedly, shifting his weight from one foot to another, backpack hanging from one shoulder.

"I don't want to fail you two," she turns to look at Arthur who nods in agreement. "Go over the exercises together and write a brief summary on what you learnt today, alright?"

"Yes, Mrs. Olson," Arthur's voice sounds bored but she doesn't seem to notice, giving them one more severe glance over and a permission to leave with a brush of her hand. They exit the class room together, both dragging their feet with the annoyance of an added work load.

"A fag?" Arthur offers, fishing his pack from the pocket of his jeans. He's never noticed it before but they are the same height, walking shoulder to shoulder down the corridor and out the back door. Maybe Merlin's a bit taller, less than an inch? It can't be more than that.

"'ve got my own," Merlin declines but gives him a fair smile, pulling out a pack of his own and giving it a jerk to pop one up. He lights up as soon as they're out the door, blatantly ignoring the _no smoking_ sign attached to the nearest brick wall.

"Mr. Emrys," Arthur mimics the teacher's voice as he too, lights up a cig, "Not on school property!"

"Mr. Pendragon," Merlin rolls his eyes and laughs, immediately in on the joke, "Oh, the insolence!"

There are more people gathered outside behind the trash cans to smoke than there are on the actual backyard of the school put together. A couple of Arhur's mates are huddled up in a close circle like a bunch of penguins trying to preserve the heat, clearly in the middle of a loud, animated conversation, smokes half way done as Arthur is arriving late. Leon gives him a greeting which Arthur returns with a nod of his head that says _I'll be right there_ before turning to face Merlin. His lips are loose around the cigarette - they're quite big, quite pretty now that Arthur's paying attention, full in a way that seems absurd for his otherwise thin face - and when Merlin breathes out smoke, Arthur wishes he could see the tiny, silver barbel on Merlin's tongue just one more time. Just a little peek.

"So I've got arrrrt next," Merlin tells him, struggling with the words again and sucks in another drag.

"Should take English to learn how to talk again, you sound like a git," Arthur helpfully suggests, delighting in the way Merlin huffs out in mock annoyance, clearly enjoying a bit of bickering. His eyes crinkle up in an endearing way when he smiles.

"You sound like a git even without a piece of surgical steel through your tongue so I wouldn't say much if I werrrrrre you."

"Haha," Arthur laughs pleasantly and blows smoke on Merlin's face. Why are they even standing that close? Merlin's eyelashes are long and black, he's never noticed that before.

"So you want to do the task after class?" Merlin asks around his cigarette, the traces of a smile still evident on his lips.

"Can't, I've got footie," Arthur tells him, "We don't have lab until Thursday, how 'bout tomorrow, eh?"

"Tomorrow it is then."

 

It's Wednesday and Arthur's waiting for Merlin at the broken drinking fountain in the main hallway. The teacher let them off ten minutes early from gym and after showering quickly, Arthur's right on time. His hair is still wet, pushed away from his face, and he feels mellow watching the students pouring out of classrooms when the bell rings. It's ten past three in the afternoon when Merlin finally arrives, hurrying down the corridor with his denim jacket open, still stuffing papers into his back pack. He's wearing a burgundy beanie, it suits him, makes the blue of his eyes really pop and Arthur smiles at him, giving Merlin a subtle nod as a greeting.

"Sorry I'm late," Merlin apologizes, out of breath, "I had to finish this... This... Yeah, sorry."

"Don't worry about it, mate," Arthur grins, heading out the front doors side by side, "So where do you want to go?"

"I'm starving, lets go grab a kebab or something and make some notes while we eat."

They step outside and it's raining. The day is grey as ever, the sort of drizzle that seeps deep inside your bones - the type of day you decide not to get out of bed at all. Arthur pulls his hood over his head, starting to walk faster to keep up with the other boy while Merlin looks over his shoulder at Arthur, and there's that smile again. His eyes look like half moons, his front teeth are sort of big but in a way really cute, his ears are just ridiculous but it doesn't make Merlin look ugly at all. Looking at Merlin's face is nice.

They don't make any notes or even take out their books when they eat. Arthur thinks it's because they're too hungry and besides, there's a re-run of a tv show he used to love as a kid on the telly and they watch it while gobbling down their platefuls of kebab and chips, talking about the things they used to love when little.

"Teenage mutant ninja turtles," Merlin speaks with his mouth open and full of food, "I always wanted to be Leonardo."

"Nah, Michelangelo's way cooler. He's got nunchucks," Arthur takes a gulp of his pint of coke.

"The pepperoni pizza always looked so mouth watering, didn't it?"

"I know right!" Arthur says excitedly, pushing his plate away after he's finished with his food, "Why does the food in cartoons always look so good?"

"No idea," Merlin agrees, smiling and then purses his lips in deep thought. "Why have we never hung out before?"

"Huh? Oh, I don't know," Arthur shakes his head - he can't exactly say he's always thought of Merlin as a geek, thought they'd have nothing in common but he's been wrong - clearly, he has. Merlin's good fun. It's somehow different with Merlin than it is with his other mates but Arthur's not really sure what it is. Arthur looks at Merlin's face to try and figure it out.

It's silent for a moment. The music from a loud and annoying pasta sauce commercial comes from the tv and they both turn their eyes away, realizing the eyecontact has lasted for an awkwardly long time. Merlin taps his long fingers on the table, tap tap tap, and Arthur focuses on the sudden uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. Glancing up, he sees Merlin twisting his tongue piercing around in his mouth again, sticking it between his lips and moving the barbel back and forth. He can pronounce his r's again. Maybe the piercing's all healed now?

"I've got a spliff back at home," Merlin leans in and says in a much quieter voice, the tone dropping to a low murmur, "Want to come over?"

"Yeah," Arthur smirks lazily, gets up and pulls his hood over his head again as they exit the restaurant together. The rain's turned to a weak mizzle, barely there at all but still making everything unpleasant outside. Merlin bums a fag from Arthur's pack and they light up, leaving a trail of smoke behind as they walk hurriedly, shoes making splashing sounds on the wet ground. Arthur's stomach is pleasantly full and he feels stupidly giddy, listening to Merlin talk about how he accidentally emailed an assignment to his English teacher titled as _blahblahshit.rtf._

"God, you're such a twat," Arthur lets out a barking laughter, "What'd she say?"

"Nothing, I don't think she noticed!"

They laugh uncontrollably for a moment, both unable to stop grinning and turn to a side street filled with small, cozy houses with small gardens and bikes parked out front. A couple of kids walk past them, arguing loudly and spitting out curse words at each other which seems ridiculous as the two can't be older than eight. Merlin and Arthur glance at each other and start laughing again and Merlin bumps his shoulder to Arthur's, coming to walk closer to him.

"My mum won't be back until nine," Merlin tells him as they enter a small yard, the tile path that leads to a regular sized house - the garden battered and unkept. The house itself is nice enough, looks a bit smaller than Arthur's home, the window on the front door covered with a polka dot curtain, a welcome sign hanging on eye level. Merlin pulls his keys out of the pocket of his denim jacket and lets Arthur in first.

"Shoes off," he says, rolling his eyes, "Mum's mental about that sort of stuff."

Kicking his sneakers off, Arthur follows Merlin up the stairs and into his room. They drop their backpacks by the door and sit down on the floor, leaning against Merlin's bed as the black haired boy digs through a drawer on his night stand to find the joint. He has a desk, a rather old laptop and a huge amount of pictures, magazine cutouts pinned to the wall behind it. Some books - a framed, dusty picture of a younger Merlin together with another boy who has severe acne - a pummeled piggy bank that's clearly been through a lot. Arthur grins at the cardboard box on the lowest shelf of Merlin's bookshelf that's filled with kinder surprise toys. Perhaps at some point in time Merlin's collected them which Arthur finds awfully cute.

"Found it!" Merlin exclaims, pulling out a zip bag with an already rolled up spliff. Turning his attention back to Merlin, Arthur watches with calm eyes as Merlin lights up and takes a long drag before passing the pot to Arthur who takes the joint between two fingers and brings it to his mouth. Merlin's looking at his lips - Arthur can feel it - as he sucks on the spliff and breathes in deeply, holds it in, and relaxes against the bed frame before exhaling.

It's some pretty good pot. He takes another inhale and gives it back to Merlin whose eyes have already started to look a bit red. The sweet scent of smoke curls around them, swirls in the air and Arthur's eyes feel heavy - god, he's high as a kite - and he inches closer to Merlin, their thighs brushing as they sit on the floor side by side. Merlin's next inhale is a bit too large and he coughs around it, then lets out a laugh, glances at Arthur to see whether he's noticed. One more hit and the joint's back in Arthur's fingers, he's holding it loosely as most of his attention is directed at Merlin again. Merlin's lips as he opens his mouth and breathes out shakily, eyelashes fluttering, the full shape of his lips forming a lazy smirk. Damn, his mouth is beautiful.

The spliff's almost done now and so, Arthur takes one more deep lungful of smoke before letting Merlin finish it off. The other boy is clearly just as relaxed as he is, head hanging low, breathing through his nose - would it be so bad to reach out and touch him? Merlin's resting the nearly finished joint between his forefinger and thumb, trying to collect himself before putting it out.

"How's..." Merlin turns to look at him, grins goofily and seems to lose all track of thought. "How... Are you... Yeah?"

Arthur catches the sight of the tongue piercing glistening inside Merlin's mouth like a valuable pearl inside a clam. He's there again, unable to stop thinking about it - and Arthur's not a coward and so he reaches out, brushing his fingers to Merlin's lower lip. Without offering an explanation, he slides two of his fingers into Merlin's lax mouth, touching his tongue with his fingertips. Merlin doesn't pull away. His eyes are glued to Arthur's face - as they've been all evening - and he doesn't seem to be bothered by the fact that Arthur's got his fingers in his mouth, touching the piece of jewelry on his tongue, leaning closer and closer, their breaths a mere inch apart. Arthur's breath hitches when the tips of his fingers graze Merlin's front teeth, leaving his tongue in peace for a moment, forefinger slipping under Merlin's ridiculously full upper lip. He pushes it around, the soft, wet skin of Merlin's lip giving under his touch and then Arthur's hooked the finger under his tongue and lower teeth instead, flicking up the piercing. Merlin's mouth is so hot and wet.

Merlin still doesn't budge. Chest heaving with laborious breaths he stays unmoving, letting Arthur continue the exploration of his open mouth. Over his upper lip, across his mouth and back in, feeling the skin between teeth and lip. It's the most exhilarating thing, his fingers warm and wet from Merlin's spit, the feel of a soft tongue, his hot mouth, and that's the moment when Arthur understands what's happening and pulls his hand back abruptly. Fuck. He _fancies_ Merlin. He want to kiss him, to stick his own tongue down Merlin's throat and snog the life out of him, wants to pull him close and do filthy things to him. With him. It's not like he isn't used to this, Arthur's been with plenty of girls before but it's humiliating not to have realized until now. Now that it's with a bloke. Merlin's lips look stupidly red and ravished after Arthur's done with them.

Unsure of what to say - should he even try to explain? - he catches Merlin's eyes darting down to his crotch and back to his baffled face. Why on earth did he decide to put on sweats after gym class? Arthur's arousal is evident, a clear tent in his sweatpants and fuck, Merlin's hard too - Arthur can't help but glance down, up and down again, mortified by the prolonged moment. Merlin's pasty skin has flushed a deep shade of blotchy red. Their eyes meet and Merlin shifts uncomfortably, tossing the now put out spliff in an empty coke can on the floor and adjusts himself through his jeans, the zipper an inconvenient pressure on his arousal. Arthur's about to start beating himself up about ruining a perfectly good friendship when Merlin salvages the situation by letting out a breathless laugh.

"Haha," he huffs, eyelids heavy, "I'm like... Really fucking high."

"Yeah," Arthur laughs too and it's all good again. They lean against the bed rail, looking around Merlin's room at the knick knacks scattered here and there, clutter all over. Merlin reaches out a socked foot and knocks a box of art supplies over with his toes. Brushes and pencils go rolling around the wooden floor, purposely making an even bigger mess than his room already was. Then glancing back at Arthur, Merlin flashes him a playful smile and it's perfect. They start to laugh again.

It's only when Arthur gets home does he realize they never even opened their course books and the assignment is still due tomorrow.

  
Arthur feels bad when he shows up late the next day. The lesson's already started and Merlin's sitting behind their shared desk all alone when Arthur stumbles into the classroom and with a quiet apology, takes his seat. While Arthur struggles with pulling out his pencil case from his back pack Merlin takes a piece of folded paper from between the pages of his book and shows it to him. It's the assignment Mrs. Olson asked them to do and Merlin's written both of their names underneath it. He's finished it all alone while Arthur's spent the little time he had last evening before going to bed wanking in the shower.

"Thanks mate, you're the best," he mumbles, really meaning it.

"No bother," says Merlin, poking Arthur's bicep with a long forefinger and then turns away to take notes. The tips of his ears are red. Arthur's smiling to himself, he can't help it, and Merlin's smiling too even though he's trying to conceal it.

Time flies by faster than ever. Never before has Arthur enjoyed a double period of science as much as he does now, hyper aware of the other boy sitting next to him. Their knees bump under the table, their hands rest on the table almost touching. Arthur hasn't got a clue what the class is even about but it doesn't bother him in the slightest. He's almost hoping the teacher will give them additional work again just to have an excuse to bitch about it later with Merlin.

They return the assignment after class and for once get an approbative smile from Mrs. Olson. Arthur's already got his cigs out as they step outside to the hallway, offering Merlin his pack.

"I've got maths in the East wing next. I've got to get going," he says apologetically, shaking his head to decline Arthur's offer. He looks truly sorry, almost grudging.

"Oh okay." Arthur feels strangely disappointed. He sticks a fag in his mouth and tries to look like it isn't a big deal but it sort of is. It's Thursday and they don't have any classes together on Fridays and then it's the weekend and Arthur won't see Merlin again until next week. Merlin opens his mouth to say something but nothing comes out.

"I'll... See you around?" Arthur offers blankly and Merlin nods, reluctantly adjusting his backpack on his shoulders and then turning around to the opposite direction to head out. Arthur watches him for a moment, expressionless, and then goes out to have a smoke.

 

The next time Arthur sees him is on Friday night. He's out with his mates, Lance and Leon, just popping out from the pub to have a smoke when he spots Merlin on the opposite side of the street with another bloke. Arthur recognizes his friend from the dusty picture frame on Merlin's bookshelf. It's the kid with the acne though he doesn't have acne anymore - he seems close, too close, as he and Merlin stagger about in front of a 24/7 store with cans of beer in their hands. Lance nudges him in the shoulder rather roughly and points at Merlin, too.

"Hey mate, isn't that your lab partner? The one with the big ears?" he mutters drunkenly, and Arthur shoves him right back in his drunken state of mind. His feet are a bit unsteady when he takes a few steps away from his friends and calls out.

"Oi! Merlin!" Arthur bellows, sounding slightly more drunk than he intended to, " _Mer_ lin! Get over here, you little shit!"

"Arthur?" Merlin turns around, flashes him a smile and pulls his friend along across the street by the sleeve of his jacket, in an equal state of drunk. "I'm not deaf, you turd!"

"Merlin!" Arthur says again happily, reaching out and grabbing the boy away from his friend like he's a precious toy only Arthur's allowed to play with. Merlin nearly falls over in Arthur's overly eager greeting. He's wearing a blue sweater under his jacket, black skinny jeans and converse sneakers, a scarf wrapped around his neck in a clear attempt to look fashionable.

"Haha, you look like a hipster, what's with the scarf?" Arthur tells him without really thinking about it and steals the can of beer from Merlin's fingers to take a swig.

"And you look like a dim-witted football fan," Merlin gives him a roll of his eyes but still manages to look sort of pleased. "Will, this is my... This is Arthur. Arthur, this is Will, my old mate from elementary."

"How's it going?" Arthur passes the beer back to Merlin and grins at Merlin's friend drunkenly. Will doesn't seem all that impressed with Arthur and his gang of drunken fools - all tall and masculine like knights.

"We were actually going to go see a band," Will says but Arthur's not even listening. He's got his arm wrapped around Merlin's shoulders, pulling him along, showering him with attention.

"We were just going to order shots, you've got to join us, yeah?" Arthur slurs, "Right Leon? Lance?"

"Join you lot?"

"Yeah," Arthur gives him a sincere smile as Merlin looks back and forth between Arthur's wolfishly grinning lips and his friend. "The band can't be that good, eh?"

"Yeah. Yeah, okay," Merlin agrees, eyelashes fluttering and tosses the now empty can of beer as they enter the pub together, looking over his shoulder at Will. "Come on, we'll have a pint or two and then go. It doesn't start until ten thirty."

It's ten thirty and Merlin's at the counter ordering more drinks together with Leon, Percy and Gwaine who have just joined the group. Arthur's back at their table with a nearly full pint of beer in front of him, empty shot glasses scattered all over the table. Will and Lance are talking about an Xbox game Arthur's not familiar with and so, he entertains himself with observing Merlin. Even though Merlin's quite tall, he looks only tiny standing next to Leon and Percy who are both bulky and overly large. Gwaine isn't exactly small either. Merlin's frail shoulder blades and elegant wrists are just ridiculous. He looks like a gust of wind could knock him over if he got drunk enough which he definitely is.

They get their drinks and wobble over to the table - Merlin slides down next to him, the foaming beer in his pint spilling all over as he crams closer to give room to the other guys. Placing his hand on Arthur's thigh under the table, Merlin squeezes it softly, unaware of his own actions. The hand leaves him as quick as it came for Merlin needs both of his hands to grab his pint and take a gulp - he's that drunk.

"Arthur, you're _pissed_ ," he giggles, actually _giggles_ , the blinding focus of his bright blue eyes now back on Arthur.

"You're mental. Look at you." Arthur points at the wet mess Merlin's made of the wooden table. "You're getting more beer on the table than down your throat. I can't fathom how you got so drunk."

"Should I lick it up?" Merlin's grin is obscene. It isn't funny.

" _Mental_ ," Arthur says again with more emphasis, proving a point and takes a draught of his own beer - the cheapest one the pub offers. The music's suddenly louder, blasting from the speakers right above their corner table as more and more people enter the already crowded pub.

"I didn't really want to go see the band," Merlin tells him, leaning in closer until his breath's tickling Arthur's earlobe, "I don't really care about the band but Will wanted to go and pick up girls. He says girls at concerts are easy."

"Are they now?"

"I haven't got a clue."

They grin at each other for a moment. It's hard not to look at Merlin's lips now that they're right there - Arthur can still remember exactly how hot his mouth felt on his fingertips. How pliant his lips were.

"He doesn't like you much. Will, I mean," Merlin continues in a quieter voice, "Thinks you're a bit of a douche, really. All posh and condescending."

"How come? He doesn't even know me. He has no idea what I'm like."

"Oh, I don't know." Merlin's clearly lying. He takes another gulp, looking slightly red in the cheeks.

"Merlin," Arthur repeats, leaning closer now that Merlin's further away, "Why doesn't Will like me?"

Merlin gets up from the table, bumping it with his hip and causing a few of the drinks to spill. He grabs the shoulder of Arthur's jacket to pull him along, ignoring the disgruntled mutters of their fellow entourage.

"Let's go outside, eh? Have a smoke?" Merlin wails, trying to raise his voice high enough for Arthur to hear him even with the bustling of people all around them. Arthur staggers along, following Merlin out the door and it's loud outside too so Merlin leads him away from the pub, down to the back alley. He hoists himself up to sit on the low brick fence that separates the backyard of the building from the street and Arthur mimics him, taking a seat from the slightly damp fence.

It's calmer here. The music from the pub is a low, continuous thump in the background and the voices of the folk nearby is pleasantly muffled and unclear. Merlin's got his pack of cigarettes out and he offers Arthur one, sticking it right between his lips before grabbing one for himself. They light up and smoke in silence for a moment, breathing in the fresh air filtered through a cigarette. Arthur steals a glimpse of Merlin from the corner of his eye. His hair's a bit tousled, he's gotten it messed up at some point in the evening, and so, Arthur reaches out to brush it back down the way Merlin usually wears it. He gets a smile in return, one of those lazy, unrestrained smirks Merlin doesn't show him often enough.

"Your tongue... Is it all healed up?" Arthur then asks, just to have something to chat about.

Merlin doesn't say anything. He's looking at Arthur now, turned his upper body towards him, resting his hand with the fag on his knee. It's clear now as the heavy gaze in Merlin's eyes strays down to Arthur's lips - Arthur isn't imagining this, he can't be that drunk. He won't push Arthur away. Fuck it. With a sudden surge of self-confidence he leans in and presses his lips to Merlin's in a soft kiss. Merlin sighs against his lips, mouth completely relaxed and parts his lips languidly as one of Arthur's hands finds its way in his hair. Heart pumping madly in his chest, Arthur starts off slow, taking Merlin's upper lip between his. Their lips move together in a chaste pace, figuring out how they fit together and god, it's perfect, having Merlin's breath mingling with his.

They're breathing faster now as Merlin's hands sneak underneath Arthur's jacket to wrap around his waist, inching closer, their lips never leaving one another. The hand Arthur's got in Merlin's hair slides to the back of his head, taking a hold of his delicate neck and tilting his face to the side to deepen the kiss. When their tongues touch Merlin moans in the back of his throat, pushing his tongue into Arthur's mouth and it's far from innocent after that. The metal of his piercing drags against Arthur's bottom lip, warm, just as the rest of his mouth, and they're kissing faster, sloppy mouths all over each other. Merlin's kisses are eager, like he's been starving for it and it's got Arthur's blood boiling, devouring Merlin's lips with just as much vigor.

"Fuck," Merlin whispers against his lips, nearly gasping, " _Fuck_ , Arthur."

They kiss again, open mouthed and filthy. Arthur's scrambling for a better hold of Merlin, pushing his hand up the back of his shirt and taking a hold of Merlin's bare hip underneath his clothes. His skin is so soft and Arthur caresses it with his open palm, thumb gliding over his hip bone wanting to feel more. With no air left in his lungs Arthur breaks away for a second, slides down the fence as Merlin does the same - they're both standing up now and Arthur's got Merlin's back against it, their lips finding each other in the neediest kiss yet. Arthur presses their bodies together and Merlin wraps around him like a snake, luring Arthur closer and before he knows it, hips start to rock - he's thrusting, and fuck, Merlin's just as hard as he is.

They both moan quietly, foreheads pressing together, eyes closed with their mouths ghosting over each other in heavy exhales. Merlin shudders in his arms, fingers wound up in Arthur's hair, squeezing the blond locks in a slightly painful grip. He goes for Merlin's neck next. Arthur kisses a path from his lips, down his jaw and all the way to his Adam's apple, sucks on the pale skin of his throat as Merlin's swallows back a sound, hips bucking in Arthur's hold. Arthur's fingers are already opening the buttons of Merlin's jeans when a loud sound breaks them apart.

It's someone's car alarm, a loud, sudden wail in the air, as the noises coming from the front yard of the pub momentarily get louder. Someone's coming this way, there are footsteps, and Arthur lets go of Merlin's clothes, baffled by what he's doing. Their eyes meet, Merlin's are just as wide as his must be, his face red and blotchy, mouth angry red and kissed to bits. Arthur looks down at Merlin's body and helps him with the buttons before a group of people walk past them, talking loudly about grabbing something to eat without sparing the two a single look.

"Arthur," Merlin says slowly, stilling Arthur's hands that are still fumbling with his ruffled clothes, "Don't panic." He sounds considerably more sober than he did inside but is still out of breath.

"I'm not panicking," Arthur tells him angrily like it's all Merlin's fault - he's hard, confused and he really needs another drink right now. He must look extremely disgruntled for Merlin takes a hesitant step closer and wraps his arms behind Arthur's neck to give him an awkward hug. It makes it a bit easier and Arthur melts into the touch, nosing the soft curls of Merlin's dark hair behind his ear. Oh God, Arthur really wants to fuck him. He could do it right there, he would, and the thought of it is so thrilling it makes him shudder.

"I'm not panicking," Arthur repeats, calmly now, "Well... Maybe I am a little."

"Good. This isn't a big deal," Merlin mutters against Arthur's cheek, trembling still, "Just kissing, yeah? It's nothing."

"It's nothing?" Arthur pulls back to be able to look into Merlin's eyes. His gaze is wild, eyebrows furrowed in a weird expression Arthur's never seen on his face before. Thumbs caressing the sides of Arthur's neck feverishly, Merlin's staring at him intently, willing him to understand.

"Uh-huh, kissing's not a big deal, eh?"

Arthur isn't sure whether he's trying to convince himself or Arthur but he nods anyway.

"Good. Good... It's good," says Merlin, again and again. Clearly, it's Merlin who's panicking now but Arthur doesn't know how to make it better - he isn't sure what's wrong. They're looking at each other's lips again, already missing the touch, but Merlin's the first to pull away from Arthur's embrace, wrapping his arms around his thin form. He's got a purpleish mark right by his Adam's apple and Arthur swallows thickly, making a vague gesture at his neck that has Merlin covering himself up with his scarf.

Unsurely, they start to head back to the front entrance of the pub. Arthur wants to pull Merlin close, wants to ruffle his hair and give him one more kiss, feel that tongue touch his, but for once, he isn't certain Merlin wants his touch. So he does what he knows best and shoves Merlin's shoulder rather roughly, bumping his fist against it almost causing the other boy to fall over.

"Buy you a drink, how 'bout that? You clumsy git."

"Prat," Merlin rolls his eyes, punching Arthur's arm in protest and lets out a laugh. Good, it's a start, Arthur thinks as they return to the warmth of the crowded pub. Arhur still can't keep his eyes off him.

 

Arthur isn't sure what he's doing when he sends an awkward message to Merlin via Facebook messenger on Sunday. Only now does he realize he doesn't have Merlin's number and the only way to contact him is through Facebook which feels oddly formal like they aren't even really friends. He's been through all of Merlin's social media pictures, wanked at a picture of his grinning face - embarrassing but true - but now that the hangover from Saturday has passed, he's got nothing to do.

 _I've got a spliff I'm coming over._ Arthur types and presses send before he can begin to second guess. He hasn't got a spliff but he knows Morgana does and he goes over to his sister's room to steal one from her purse as she's currently busy watching Britain's Got Talent with their dad on the telly downstairs. Merlin replies almost immediately.

 _K, sure? M home alone._ The text reads and Arthur's up on his feet, pulling on his sweatpants and zipping up a hoodie over his worn t-shirt. Arthur makes it to the 5 pm bus. He's filled with pent up energy, tapping his foot nervously as he stares at the view from the stained window of the bus. He forgot his earphones at home which is why he's got nothing else to think about besides seeing Merlin soon. Maybe once they're both high they'll kiss again. Maybe this time there'll be nothing to stop them. Maybe... Arthur has to shake his head to get the thoughts out of his head. He needs to keep it cool.

It's the first day it hasn't rained a even bit in what feels like forever. The street that leads to Merlin's house is dry - it's a Sunday so it's fairly quiet - and Arthur's feet take him there like he's been programmed to know the route. He checks his phone and puts it on silent before crossing the yard and knocking on the door.

Merlin opens it quickly, also in his sweats and lets Arthur in without saying anything. He's barefooted and wearing the dumbest t-shirt Arthur's ever seen. It's clearly something he only wears at home - it's got a picture of a surfing turtle with the word _Spain_ printed on it, so well worn it almost looks like his shirt says _pain_ instead.

"Nice shirt," he offers, grinning sarcastically while kicking off his shoes and for a moment Merlin seems mortified to notice he forgot to change it before Arthur's arrival.

"Can't keep quiet, can you?" he bites right back, showing Arthur the print by pulling the hem and stretching the fabric a bit, "I'll have you know this shirt was very fashionable when I was 12. Everyone at school knew I'd been abroad."

"And it still fits you?"

"It used to be too big," Merlin tells him and it isn't awkward at all which is a huge relief. Arthur's done with his shoes and follows Merlin into the kitchen where it appears he's been in the middle of making tea.

"I haven't got your number," Arthur tells him, leaning against the kitchen counter as Merlin takes out two mugs and fills them with tea. "I had to use facebook messenger like a total twat."

"Nobody under twenty uses Facebook messenger."

" _I know_ ," says Arthur, accepting the mug Merlin's probing him with, "How'd you know I take mine with milk and sugar?"

"Because you look all tough and manly on the outside but on the inside you're a huge pussy?" Merlin grins over his drink, taking a sip with a mischievous look in his eyes. His hair's fluffy and clean and looks like it smells great.

"Good one," Arthur lifts his mug in a mock cheer. They go on for a bit, bickering good heartedly, both leaning their hips against the counter, standing close to one another.

Arthur's tea's gone a bit cold once they make their way into the living room. Merlin shoves his mum's knitting work away from the couch to make room for them to sit down comfortably and opens the telly just to have some noise in the background. It's nice and cozy and warm, and after Arthur's finished with his tea, he places the cup on the nearest side table and sinks further into the appeasing depth of the sofa. Merlin's bitching about the show currently on, lying on his back telling Arthur how he really doesn't like it - apparently the characters are stiff and the dialogue doesn't make any sense - and Arthur listens even though he's always kind of enjoyed the story of the series. In fact, he's still got season 1 on DVD.

"And so I told Will, the part where they suddenly jump off the boat in episode five doesn't make any sense - like who does that?" Merlin rants theatrically, bumping his bare toes against Arthur's thigh playfully, "And he agreed - like why'd they put that scene in there? All of a sudden they freaking jump-"

"You never told me why Will doesn't like me," Arthur interrupts him, grabbing Merlin's foot and flicking his toe. He isn't sure Merlin even remembers. It's the first time the subject of Friday night has come up and Merlin does remember, his face flushing a deep shade of red.

"I don't know."

Arthur gives Merlin a look that says, _really I'm not that stupid._

"I showed him your picture," Merlin mumbles in a low voice, trying to pull his foot free but Arthur doesn't let go. His grip is as firm as a bear trap.

"Why'd you show him my picture?"

"Does it matter? What's with all the questions?" Merlin's chest expands from annoyance - he's fuming now, "God Arthur, you really fucking piss me off!"

"I asked you one question," Arthur says thickly, licking the side of his mouth, also getting angry. "Why can't you just fucking answer?"

"Ugh!" Merlin throws his arms in the air, sits up and he's so close to Arthur now, eyebrows scrunched up with his lips in a deep scowl, "Sometimes I just want to punch your stupid face!"

"Then why don't you?!"

"Because you're so fucking hot-" Merlin barely gets the words out of his mouth before Arthur crashes his lips to Merlin's. It's sort of violent but he can't help himself, Arthur's about to explode and he has to let out it all out somehow. Merlin's tongue pushes into his mouth and down his throat, the metal barbel of his piercing pressed against Arthur's palate, their lips smashed together in sheer eagerness. _Crap, crap, crap,_ Arthur's chanting in his head but he can't stop, fingers flying up and down Merlin's back, pulling him closer, swallowing the deep groan Merlin makes in the back of his throat.

Before he knows it, Arthur's on top of Merlin. Their bodies come into full contact, Merlin's legs spread with Arthur between them, and Merlin's full on licking Arthur's mouth now, the kiss turning into a big mess of tongues and teeth. There's no alcohol in his blood now, no excuse to blame their behavior on something else but Arthur's not going to mention it. He's not going to ruin this and so he keeps kissing, down Merlin's plump upper lip to his jaw, biting on it and a sucking a bit of skin on his neck. He leaves a trail of marks on Merlin's sallow skin - it bruises so easily - across his throat, under his ear, mouthing over a sharp collarbone. Merlin's a mess underneath him.

He whimpers, hiding his face in Arthur's blond hair and keeps his lips where he wants them, hips buckling up to encourage Arthur on. And Arthur moves. Burying his face into the crook of Merlin's neck and his shoulder, he breathes roughly, moisture gathering on Merlin's skin and rolls his hips down to meet his. He can feel _everything_. The worn fabric of his sweats does nothing to hide the fact that Merlin's equally hard cock's pressed up snugly against his. It's so hot Arthur nearly chokes as Merlin pushes up to thrust against him, their hips finding a natural rhythm.

"Go on," Merlin's voice comes out raspy, he's panting into Arthur's hair, "Go on Arthur, don't stop-"

" _Shit,_ " Arthur moans in return, keeps on rutting against him, and with a sudden urge to touch more skin, slides his hand down Merlin's pants, touching the naked, damp skin of his cock. It's warm, a perfect size to fit in his fist and Arthur squeezes it loosely. Merlin pulls Arthur's head up, searching for his lips and kisses him in a frenzy, his body going haywire as Arthur palms his cock with his hand sloppily. The tip of his erection is already wet, precome smearing all over Arthur's fingers and with another thrust of his hips - Merlin comes into Arthur's palm without a warning.

He shudders, breath coming out strained, squeezing his eyes shut and for a moment all Arthur can do is look. Merlin lifts his hips to push into Arthur's hand, grasps his shoulders and rides out his orgasm, mouthing the side of Arthur's face, coming fully undone under Arthur's weight. It's most definitely the hottest thing Arthur's ever seen.

"Yeah," Arthur murmurs breathlessly, the little air left in his lungs leaving him as he speaks, "That's it..."

Merlin opens his eyes, blinks and lets out a weak moan - he looks adoring, like having Arthur touch him is the best thing ever - guiding their lips together again in a sticky, languid kiss. Still painfully hard, Arthur pulls his wet hand out of Merlin's pants, cum staining both their clothes as Arthur wipes his palm to the side of his own sweatpants. He's shaking too. They kiss for a moment, Merlin finally calm and his lips as wonderfully relaxed and pliant as they were the first time they kissed. Arthur pushes Merlin's shirt up, fingers brushing the pale skin of his stomach, thumb rubbing against the soft trail of black hair near his navel disappearing beneath his clothing. Tentatively, he moves his hips once more, just to see if Merlin's still fine with it and then just sticks his own hand down his pants to get himself off.

Just as Arthur's got his fingers wrapped around the shaft of his erection, Merlin pushes him off and switches their positions. Shoving Arthur's hand away, Merlin takes over, pushing Arthur's shirt up and dives in for his stomach, placing feverish kisses down Arthur's abs. He's got his hand on Arthur's cock faster than Arthur's managed to grasp what's going on, first palming it over his boxers and then, simply tucking in and pulling it out completely. Arthur's eyes widen as Merlin looks down at his cock openly, long, black lashes shadowing the heated look in his eyes as Merlin feels the weight of it in his hand. Pondering, gathering courage. Then his mouth is on him and Arthur can no longer breathe.

"Shit," he cusses, first squeezing his eyes shut and then, realizing what he's doing opens them to the sight of Merlin's lips wrapped around the tip. He's not going to miss a second of this. He pushes Merlin's hair out of the way, trails his fingers into it and grabs a fair handful, not pressing or guiding but letting Merlin do as he pleases. It takes a while for him to try and take the entire length. He breathes through his nose, trying his best to relax and swallows around him before pulling away and just licking. The barbel on his tongue feels fucking amazing, flicking the tip of Arthur's cock as Merlin's tongue swirls around it, then it's back down his throat as he starts to suck in the earnest. Arthur's not going to last long.

It's obvious Merlin hasn't done it before but he's more eager than anyone Arthur's ever been with in the past. Merlin's got one of his hands wrapped around the base, one still holding down the waistband of Arthur's sweatpants when Arthur tightens his hold of Merlin's hair in alarm, trying to tell him he's close. Without budging, Merlin continues and it's so wet, so good, that Arthur comes within the next minute, hips buckling up and thrusting deeper into the warmth of Merlin's keen, devoted mouth. His mouth falls open in pleasure, head thrown back and barely notices Merlin struggle with trying to swallow. He hears a cough but barely registers it as Merlin's face appears above him, wiping his mouth to the back of his hand and then they're kissing again. Arthur tastes his own release on Merlin's tongue.

They break it off after a moment, Merlin cuddles up next to him and they face each other, eyes meeting hesitantly. The telly flashes, light flickering on Merlin's features - his sharp cheekbones, his cupid's bow, the colors of the screen reflected in the blue of his eyes. Arthur's still out of breath and blissfully sated. Half expecting Merlin to freak out again, Arthur brushes Merlin's cheek with his knuckles in an attempt to calm him but Merlin's not saying anything. This time he isn't telling Arthur it's nothing. One can't honestly think sucking someone off is nothing. They stay like that for a while in silence. Merlin's the first to break it as he first bites his lip and then open his mouth to speak.

"Do you want some corn flakes?"

"Huh?" Arthur grins - he hadn't expected that and it's sort of funny how desperately Merlin's trying to still play it cool.

"I'm hungry," he explains simply, brushing off Arthur's hand that's still caressing his cheek as he sits up, "I'm really craving some corn flakes right now."

  
They don't kiss on the doorstep when Arthur leaves, it would be too much like dating. Merlin does give him his number - stealing Arthur's phone and forcing him to tell him the passcode before typing in his phone number and saving it under the name _Merlin is the best_. Arthur decides to walk home, smiling the entire way with his phone beeping in his pocket as Merlin bombs him with messages Arthur ignores just to piss him off.

 

He doesn't see Merlin the entire day on Monday but on Tuesdays they've got class together. They both arrive early, sit down at their desk as more students shuffle in and take their seats, chatting loudly before the teacher arrives. It's the first time Arthur's seen Merlin blush so obviously, from his face and neck to the tips of his ears the moment he sees Arthur slide down next to him. He's still got a couple hickeys under his ear he hasn't even bothered to try and hide.

"Who mauled you?" Arthur asks like he doesn't know, grinning wildly and Merlin rolls his eyes at him in a familiar way.

"Oh, this huge twat," Merlin tells him quietly, leaning closer. "I seriously look like I'm fourteen or something - you've got to stop with the hickeys, Arthur."

"You look fourteen even without the hickeys."

"That turn you on, does it?"

"Haha," Arthur shoves him in the arm, "Arsehole."

"Clotpole."

"What? That doesn't even mean anything!" Arthur barks out in laughter as the teacher arrives and tells the class to settle down. Still eyeing each other cheerfully, Merlin grasps his hand under the table and holds it for a moment before they have to start taking notes.

  
Arthur's not expecting to see Merlin for the rest of the day as science is the only period they share but ends up running into him anyway. He's dragging his feet down the corridor, returning from the nurse's office with a bag of ice wrapped around his wrist and after turning a corner, spots Merlin at the lockers rummaging through his in search of something. He looks pleasantly surprised when Arthur corners him, pushing his face next to Merlin's to look at the mess inside. It's filled with crap, books and pens and gum wrappers, a picture of a band glued badly to the door. Merlin has doodled over the band members faces.

"Aren't you supposed to be in class?" he asks, wanting to wrap his arms around the other boy's waist but afraid to do so in the open where anyone could see.

"I've got a skip period," Merlin explains with a smile, turns around and takes a hold of Arthur's hand to look at his wrist. "What happened?"

"I twisted it at P.E. We were shooting hoops and Percy knocked me over and I landed on my ass with my hand under me," Arthur tells him like it's a great war story and he's just come back from it victorious, "The coach insisted. I told him it was nothing - the nurse just gave me some ice and told me to stop being such a wuss."

"She thinks you're a big cry baby now," Merlin says and it's exactly what Arthur thinks, too.

"I'm not going back there ever unless I crack my skull open or something."

Lifting Arthur's wrist higher, Merlin takes the ice bag and holds it for him. The focused expression on Merlin's face is so cute Arthur can't help but take a step closer, their bodies about an inch apart. Without looking up at Arthur's face, Merlin tends to his wrist and worries on his lower lip, wanting to say something. Arthur waits while mindlessly admiring Merlin's high cheekbones and the shape of his brows.

"Did you have a good time on Sunday?" he asks insecurely without meeting Arthur's gaze.

"Yeah," Arthur replies at once.

"Did you like it when we... When we..."

"Yeah."

"It doesn't bother you that I'm a..."

"No," Arthur shakes his head. Glancing briefly at Arthur's face, Merlin looks back down and shifts his weight from one foot to another. He's got a lot on his mind, that much is obvious to the eye, and the next time he speaks, Merlin's voice comes out a lot lower.

"I can't stop thinking about it."

"About what?" Their eyes meet, unflinching. Merlin seems a bit out of breath.

"Us. Fucking," he mutters roughly and they're standing so close if anyone were to see they wouldn't be able to pretend to be simply good friends in the midst of a hushed conversation. Arthur's stomach makes a violent lurch, his heart thumping madly in his chest as he searches Merlin's gaze for a sign of hesitance but finds none.

"I really want to kiss you right now," Arthur sounds equally frenzied and Merlin lets go of his arm to clutch at Arthur's chest through his shirt instead. Their lips brush against each other and Merlin lets out a surprised gasp, the thrill of getting caught coloring his cheeks as he looks around to make sure no-one saw. The hallway is still empty.

"Supply closet?" he offers gently and Arthur nods, following Merlin down the aisle with blood rushing down south so fast they really need to hurry. The bell rings just as they make it out of sight, slamming the door to the tiny space shut behind them and Merlin turns the lock before Arthur pulls him close to bring their mouths together.

Simultaneously, they reach down to grab each other's asses as their lips meet in an open mouthed kiss, crotches pressed together in the hurried movement of their hips. Merlin ends up with his back against the wall. He knocks several things over as they grope each other feverishly, sliding under clothes, touching skin. It's Merlin's turn to attack Arthur's neck as the latter pulls away to take a deep breath before taking a hold of Merlin's hips to thrust against him. They both moan - Merlin against his collarbone, his hands roaming under Arthur's shirt, nails pressing into his chest. Arthur lifts the hem of Merlin's t-shirt with his uninjured hand, bare stomachs touching as he looks down to watch their bodies rut against each other. It's too risky to take of their clothes entirely but Arthur wants to see and so he lifts up the shirt even higher. Merlin's chest is just as pale as the rest of his body - a dash of faint black hair down the front, his nipples rosy just like the color of his lips.

They kiss again, and Arthur lets Merlin's shirt fall back down to be able to yank open the buttons on his jeans. Merlin helps him, pushing down his jeans together with his underpants without any shame and Arthur gropes his ass for a moment, drunk on the feel of his skin. He goes for Merlin's cock next, wrapping his fingers around the base and pulling on it loosely, thumb gliding over the tip with ease. Withdrawing his tongue from Merlin's open mouth, Arthur drops to his knees. He's never done it before - taken another bloke's cock in his mouth - but Arthur's eager to try and if Merlin managed to get him off in less than five minutes, Arthur can do it too. It can't be that hard. Looking down at him with wide open eyes, Merlin gasps violently, cock jerking in Arthur's hold. There are voices coming from the hallway outside the closer, students pouring out of classrooms. His legs shake but Arthur steadies him with a calming hand on the back of his thigh, caressing the skin as he brushes his lips to the tip of Merlin's erection. It twitches and pokes him on the nose.

"Sorry," Merlin blurts, his voice so deep it's almost a groan, looking mortified as Arthur glances up and grins. As Merlin seems so close to fainting, Arthur lets him out of his misery and opens his mouth to suck it in. Both of his hands now on the back of Merlin's thighs, Arthur moves them in soothing circles, kneading the flesh of his white ass while his head bobs up and down on Merlin's length. Merlin's fucking his mouth now - rolling his hips in a steady rhythm - hands clasping Arthur's hair, head thrown back. It's difficult to relax his jaw but Arthur tries his best, to use as much tongue as he can and Merlin seems to enjoy it for he keeps letting out quiet noises - desperate enough to drive Arthur mad. In the heat of the moment he slides his fingers down the crack of Merlin's ass, bluntly pressing them against his hole.

Merlin's body goes taunt, the snapping of his hips turning erratic. Arthur lets him fuck his mouth, nose brushing against the soft curls above Merlin's cock and breathes through his nose as the muscles in Merlin's thighs twitch with the impending power of his climax. His cock slides against Arthur's palate and then he's coming, doubling over and fisting Arthur's hair. The moan he makes is loud enough to be heard from outside but for the moment Arthur's only worried about choking. He swallows down Merlin's release, gagging a little but not wanting to show any weakness and then lets his half hard cock fall out of his mouth. Merlin's nearly hyperventilating as Arthur makes it back up, hurriedly pushing down his sweats together with his pants.

"Quickly," Merlin breathes against Arthur's lips, their mouths brushing but both too out of it to actually kiss. Taking his own erection into his palm, Arthur leans his forehead against Merlin's as the latter wraps his arms loosely around Arthur's neck. He's forgotten all about the pain on his wrist as his other hand sneaks back down to touch Merlin's ass, testing the give of his hole with the tip of his middle finger and then just sticks it up his ass to feel Merlin from the inside as he jerks himself off.

Merlin lets out a surprised _oh_ , eyelashes fluttering and Arthur tears his eyes away from his face to look down. He rubs the tip of his cock on Merlin's flat stomach, dips it into his navel as he moves his hand in rough, purposeful strokes. Merlin's looking down as well, helping Arthur by lifting the hem of his own shirt to get it out of the way. Arthur curls his finger and Merlin whimpers - he closes his eyes, breathes roughly and he can almost feel what it would be like to fuck him. Arthur comes hard, spilling his seed all over Merlin's stomach.

Merlin's tongue licks the side of his lips and Arthur groans deeply, feeling slightly dizzy as he pulls his finger out, the tip of his cock now rubbing against the mess on Merlin's stomach. He's too dazed to do anything as Merlin pulls out a few paper towels from somewhere and with shaking hands, starts to clean himself up. When Arthur's finally come to his senses Merlin's almost done but he grabs a paper towel anyway, not wanting him to do all the work.

"The bell rung a while ago," Merlin says, still out of breath as he nuzzles Arthur's cheek with the tip of his nose.

"I really couldn't give a shit," Arthur moans, sleepy and blissful.

"Do you think anyone heard?"

"They will if you don't shut up, Merlin," Arthur tells him and Merlin's laughter bubbles up from deep within his chest as he pulls his pants back up.

They leave the supply closet still giggling. The hallway's empty again as classes have already begun and Merlin nudges Arthur's side playfully, then smacking him on the ass and taking a few running steps in an attempt to escape before Arthur catches him by the wrist. It turns into a weird scuffle, their shoes squeaking on the floor tiles, both trying to make the other fall over. A door to a classroom near them opens and a teacher pops her head out to tell them off. Arthur takes Merlin's hand as they leave the school and holds it all the way down to the kebab place they last visited together, only letting go to grab the menu.

 

Merlin comes over to Arthur's house on the next Friday. They've been hanging out at school - Merlin joining Arthur and his mates for smoke breaks which he never used to do before, Arthur joins him in the cafeteria at the table where Merlin usually eats with his friend Gwen, and when they run into each other in the hall, they never walk past each other without a brush of fingers. Arthur's been asked out to go and get drinks with Leon and Gwaine, but as soon as Merlin texts him telling Will's cancelled their plans for the evening and that he's coming over, Arthur decides to forget his. His dad's out of town for the weekend as usual and Morgana is out with friends so it'll be just the two of them. Arthur takes a quick shower, washes his hair and then puts on his joggers and a t-shirt he knows he looks good in.

Merlin doesn't arrive until 8pm - Arthur's texted him the address - explaining how he took the wrong bus on the way there as Arthur lets him in. He's wearing a graphic t-shirt and some battered vans sneakers, a beanie, jeans and a grey hoodie. Arthur likes this Merlin better than the one who tried to look fashionable going to the pub. Merlin's outfit looks like he just put on whatever.

"Do you ever wear anything other than sweatpants?" Merlin asks him while kicking off his shoes, grinning brightly at Arthur's comfortable clothes.

"Why bother? It's just you," he tells confidently, "They're going to come off anyway, isn't that right?"

"Ha ha," Merlin rolls his eyes but doesn't look uncomfortable. He hangs his hoodie on the coat rack, next to Arthur's jacket. "You home alone?"

"Yup," Arthur spreads his arms, "We can have a wild party. Take drugs and get piss faced. Have the whole school over."

"So it's just going to be the two of us, then?" Merlin seems pleased, looking like he sort of wants to walk into Arthur's open arms but doesn't. Arthur lets his arms drop awkwardly and sticks them inside his pockets instead.

"Do you want to see my new flatscreen? Dad got a new one for his bedroom and gave me his old," Arthur suggests, heading down the hall, up the stairs and into his room, showing Merlin the way. "Here's the bathroom, that's Morgana's room - don't go in there unless you want to be severely shocked. She's an even bigger slob than you are, crap everywhere. And it smells like gross scented candles. It might give you an astma attack or something."

"I have a really hard time picturing you cleaning anything yourself," Merlin's voice is full of laughter as Arthur lets him into his room.

"I don't, we get a house keeper twice a week," Arthur explains as Merlin takes a seat from his queen sized bed. "Morgana just doesn't want one in her room. I don't know what she hides in there. Probably worships the devil or something."

"Nice," Merlin says before looking over at the television Arthur has on the opposite wall to his bed. For a second Arthur feels like he's trying to sell Merlin something, opening the telly and showing him the features before realizing what he's doing and taking a seat from the bed next to him. He doesn't want to seem like a show off. Merlin's looking at him pleasantly, lips curled up to form a lazy smirk.

"What?"

"Nothing," Merlin shakes his head, nudging Arthur's knee with his and shifting a bit closer. "Just like you is all."

Arthur's sort of out of words and so he reaches for Merlin's beanie, pulling it off his head and tossing it to the armchair next to the foot of the bed. He plays with Merlin's hair for a bit, making it stick up from the front and then patting it back down, tucking it behind his ear. Gaze glued to Arthur's face, Merlin lets him, eyelids heavy, looking perfectly content. Smitten even. Overwhelmed by the sudden need to swallow down something creeping up his throat, Arthur pulls Merlin closer and breathes in the scent of his hair. Wrapping his arms around Arthur's waist, Merlin hugs him and they stay there for a long moment until Arthur lays them both down on the bed facing each other.

"Arthur," Merlin says in a low voice, tracing the shape of Arthur's upper lip with his fingertips.

"Yes, Merlin."

"I showed Will your picture because I told him I... Sort of fancied you a little," Merlin tells him quietly, now avoiding Arthur's eyes, "He doesn't like you because... Well. You kind of look like a prince or something. He thought I was being stupid, that it could never be. He didn't even know I was... Yeah."

"Good thing he doesn't go to our school then," Arthur replies, fingers fumbling with the back of Merlin's t-shirt, "Otherwise he'd probably know I sort of fancy you too. That is, if you weren't such a git."

"Exactly. If you weren't such a prat I think we'd probably get on," Merlin's smiling now, eyes crinkling up into half moons the way they always do. He brushes his lips to Arthur's mouth, still grinning and Arthur hugs him close, holding him so tight Merlin smacks him in the back telling him he can't breathe. They cuddle for a bit before Arthur puts on a movie and Merlin settles comfortably against him, playing with their joined fingers as the screen flashes, the colours vibrant enough to tint the entire room.

  
Arthur isn't sure when he fell asleep. Merlin's still wrapped up in his arms, nose pressed to a pillow and the telly's shut off by itself, the room calm and serene with only the pale glow of the nearest street lamp piercing the curtains from outside. Glancing over at the nightstand, Arthur wants to check the time but the alarm clock has been knocked over in his haste to leave for school on Friday morning. He reaches over Merlin, turning it around and then returning to his position behind the other boy. It's four thirty in the morning. Merlin stirs, mumbling something and pushing back to get closer. He seems uncomfortable for a moment, wiggles and pushes his socks off with his toes, then calms again. Arthur presses a kiss to his neck, hand sliding under Merlin's t-shirt and ghosting his fingers over the pale expanse of his flat stomach, toying with the soft hair under his navel. Arthur does it for a while before he realizes he's fully hard pressed up against Merlin's behind.

"Feels good," Merlin mutters, his voice wonderfully rough and sleepy. Arthur continues, dipping his fingers inside the waistband of Merlin's jeans and continues to play with his skin. His lips find the nape of Merlin's neck again, suck on it for a bit leaving a red spot and then move on to kiss the first visible bumps of his spine. He tugs the button on Merlin's jeans open, unzips him to get more room for his exploring, fingers now flying over his lower stomach, digging into the soft curls of hair down below. Arthur can feel the hitching in Merlin's breath like it was his own with their bodies plastered so close together. Merlin's eyes are closed as Arthur sucks on his earlobe briefly before withdrawing his hand to take off his shirt. Glancing over his shoulder, Merlin does the same, tugging on the hem of his tee and with Arthur's help pulling it over his head.

It feels different somehow with the first contact of naked skin to skin. Arthur with his front to Merlin's back, mouth finding his bony shoulder, one of his hands wrapped around Merlin's torso while the other palms his chest. He's so thin but there's a definite strenght to his body underneath the wiry limbs, the scent of his skin musky and so magnificently male. Arthur groans, rubbing up against him but there's too much fabric, too much separating him from where he wants to be. His palm glides down from Merlin's chest to the front of his unzipped jeans, cupping the shape of Merlin's cock with his hand. There's a sound of something close to a whimper and Merlin's hand joins his, both working on ridding Merlin of his pants. His cock springing free, Arthur reaches for it but Merlin takes a hold of it instead to direct Arthur's touches. He guides it down to the base of his cock, holds it there for a moment and mewls into the pillow. Arthur sounds about the same, his clothed erection now a pressure on Merlin's naked ass.

Panting against his neck, Arthur rocks against him as Merlin uses Arthur's hand to caress his balls, then up the shaft and wrap around the tip for a brief moment before Merlin pulls it away. Arthur's about to take over but Merlin's not done yet - he reaches behind himself and places Arthur's hand over his ass, pressing his fingers to the cleft.

" _Fuck,_ " Arthur groans, his hand starting to shake and Merlin looks over his shoulder, eyes heavy-lidded and his breath shaky. He's making sure Arthur knows what to do. Reaching for the lube hidden between the mattress and the sideboard of the bed, Arthur fumbles with it for a moment before taking a solid hold of Merlin's body by pulling him closer and then, sliding his now slippery fingers back between his ass cheeks. Arthur's fingers circle the rim for a moment, listening to the way it makes Merlin's breathing speed up as he pushes two inside at a time. It's easy as Merlin's completely relaxed, his eyes closed and mouth hanging open, concentrating on the feel of Arthur's fingers starting to move inside him. Arthur yanks him even closer by the waist, going in and out, fingering Merlin's ass in a steady pace. It's clear it doesn't feel bad or hurt - Merlin gasps, pushing back, hips rolling in a way that has Arthur nearly coming in his pants.

Not wanting to make a mess, Arthur removes his fingers for a moment to push down his sweats before adding a third finger. Merlin keens, hurriedly reaching down for his cock and squeezing it at the base. For a moment Arthur's afraid he's hurt Merlin but it's quite the opposite. He pulls his fingers out and thrusts them back in, Merlin makes the sound again and shakes in his hold.

"Slow down, god damn it-" he moans into the pillow, "'m gonna cum, slow down..."

It's the hardest thing anyone's ever asked of Arthur. He ruts against Merlin's ass, pushing his cock to the cleft and somehow there's lube all over - or is it precome - in any case, Arthur's so close to coming from just doing that to him. Merlin reaches down for his jeans that have landed on the floor, fumbles with the pocket and pulls out a strip of condoms. He prods them into Arthur's other hand that's free of his ass, and Arthur pulls his fingers out immediately, accepting the condom so eagerly that he nearly tears it in his hurry. Using his teeth to open the package from the top, Arthur pulls out the rubber and rolls it over himself with practiced ease. Face buried to the crook of Merlin's neck and his shoulder, Arthur mouths the skin feverishly as he takes a hold of himself to push inside. He's so hard, so close to climaxing that he's grateful for the condom numbing the sensation a little.

Arthur misses on the first try, testing the give but with the second thrust of his hips he's there. The tip slides in with a bit of effort and gosh, he's inside Merlin, just like that. It's slippery and so very hot, and Merlin's trembling in his hold, having closed his eyes again. Arthur fumbles for a better hold of him, cock sliding in deeper until he bottoms out. Merlin gasps, the first snap of Arthur's hips causing a surprised sound to escape his lips. It must hurt, Arthur's a lot bigger than three fingers but Merlin's not telling him to stop.

"Ooh... Fuck," Merlin groans, also scrambling for a part of Arthur to grasp and ends up gripping his thigh. Slowly, Arthur pulls out and thrusts back in, settling for a languid rhythm that has them both panting with every push. A clear sheen of sweat makes Merlin's shoulder look like it's sparkling and Arthur mouths it hungrily, his thrusts faltering when he feels Merlin's orgasm build up like it was his own. Letting go of Arthur's thigh, Merlin pushes a hand between their bodies, feeling the hidden place where they connect with his fingertips, moans and then searches for Arthur's hand to pull to his chest. He's pushing back now, rocking his ass giving Arthur the courage to go faster and he starts fucking Merlin in the earnest, pulling low moans from his lips. Merlin's orgasm is sudden, almost crippling, as he goes tense around Arthur's cock, nearly pulling Arthur over the edge with him.

His cum splatters all over Arthur's duvet cover. Merlin goes limp in Arthur's arms, mouth open and drooling a little - he's too out of it to move at all and so, Arthur flips him over to his stomach and just rolls on top of him, never leaving his body. Muttering a litany of curses into the pillows, Merlin goes _oh oh oh_ with every thrust until Arthur's climax courses through him like a powerful electric currant. He burrows his face into Merlin's hair, rocking once, twice, and comes, filling the condom with a thick load. It's so good Arthur's eyes water. He doesn't wait long before pulling out, carefully grabbing the base of the condom to keep it in place as he withdraws his cock. Arthur collapses on the bed next to Merlin, removes the condom and ties it in a knot before chucking it on the floor without really caring where it lands. With a forceful hand to the back of Arthur's neck, Merlin pulls him in for the first kiss of the night. He tastes like sleep and the gummy worms they ate while watching the movie and Arthur kisses him back, trying to put everything he's feeling into the kiss but being too tired to actually pull it off.

Merlin turns over to his side and cuddles up to him, pulling Arthur's head to his chest and hugging it a little too tight. He kicks Arthur's sweats that are still somehow wrapped around his calves away, one of his legs sliding between Arthur's. Merlin's giddy, not a trace of sleep in his bright blue eyes and Arthur can't help but grin, quite proud of himself for turning Merlin into such a mess.

"Arthur?" Merlin mutters, still sounding rather out of breath.

"Yes, Merlin."

"Are you going to tell your friends about us?"

Arthur looks up at Merlin's face in surprise.

"No," he starts, mouthing Merlin's chest as he speaks, "But I'm not going to try to hide it either. It doesn't have to be difficult."

"It isn't," Merlin kisses the top of his head, "Nothing's ever difficult if it's with you."

"Huh," Arthur hums thoughtfully and Merlin's right. Science is difficult. Managing good grades while trying to balance between football, socializing and studying is difficult. Telling your parents you're gay is difficult. Studying when you've got a spliff in your pocket is difficult. Not kissing your lab partner with a tongue piercing and a plump mouth is difficult.

Being with Merlin is easy.

Arthur pulls up the blanket to cover them both, their bodies melting together, holding each other for a long time before falling asleep again.

[](http://s1003.photobucket.com/user/hattukissa/media/ficciinmerthurPS_zps5rhakdkj.jpg.html)


End file.
